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IGF 2021 WS #94
Cross subsidy models for Internet and local empowerment

    Organizer 1: Rajendra Pratap Gupta, Disease Management Association of India

    Speaker 1: Mevish Vaishnav, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
    Speaker 2: Monika Lukasiewicz, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
    Speaker 3: Siya Tayal, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group

    Moderator

    Rajendra Pratap Gupta, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group

    Online Moderator

    Rajendra Pratap Gupta, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group

    Rapporteur

    Wathagi Ndungu, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)

    Format

    Birds of a Feather - Auditorium - 90 Min

    Policy Question(s)

    Business models and investment: The IGF has frequently addressed the principles, approaches, business models, incentives and coordinated actions by various stakeholders (governments, local authorities, regulators, fixed and mobile broadband Internet service providers, telecom companies, local communities, etc.) to spur investments in connectivity solutions and enable more affordable Internet access in developing countries. What can the IGF do to capture and communicate the emerging consensus resulting from these discussions? What are the barriers to this emerging consensus being implemented and how can they be overcome?

    In LMIC countries, barring urban areas the connectivity is poor, and the speed is erratic. Given the importance of connectivity for connecting producers in rural areas to consumers in urban areas. How can developing - LIMC countries use models like USOF to ensure connectivity and cross-subsidize.

    SDGs

    5. Gender Equality
    8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
    17. Partnerships for the Goals


    Targets: In the race for the internet, people who tend to lose the most are senior citizens and women. We will address these issues through our discussion addressing SDF 5. Also the SDG 8, we will address through the cross-subsidy models of the internet across regions. We will address SDG 17 through our case studies gathered from local regions

    Description:

    We will discuss a) opportunities in business in rural areas b) How can governments and the private sector work together to provide connectivity in rural areas c) Share the experiences from India , Africa and other parts of the world where such examples exists

    Expected Outcomes

    We will come out with a knowledge paper - Bridging the Divide, which will cover such case studies and policy recommendations for the local government and communities

    We will have speakers from three regions a) South Asian region b) Africa region and c) EU Region to get a balanced view. We will do it as an onsite session, and if COVID does not recede, then we will use the zoom or other video conference tools. Also, we will take questions from the audience.

    Online Participation



    Usage of IGF Official Tool.